Team Stats

Shots

Ground Balls

Saves

Clears

Turnovers

Face Offs Won

Man Up

NEW LONDON, Conn.—Senior Wyatt Tompkins (Redding, Conn.) scored twice in a 48 second span of the fourth quarter to lead the Connecticut College men's lacrosse team to a 9-7 victory against Hamilton College on Freeman Field at Tempel Green this afternoon. Tompkins had three goals to celebrate senior day for the Camels.

Connecticut College improved its record to 7-6 and is 3-5 in the NESCAC with two road games remaining in the regular season. The Continentals fell to 3-9 and are 1-8 in conference play.

Freshman P.J. Kelleher (Walpole, Mass.) had two goals and an assist while junior Ross Thompson (Mahopac, N.Y.) chipped in with a goal and two assists for the Camels. Jordan Foster (Las Vegas, N.Y.) scored twice for the hosts in the triumph.

Senior midfielder Penn Sednaoui (Bedford, N.Y.) corralled nine ground balls to bring his career total to 99. Sophomore Ben Parens (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) was 10-for-18 at the X with six ground balls. Senior Bobby Bleistein (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) made nine saves between the pipes to go with three ground balls. Bleistein, the program's all-time save leader, has now recorded 690 stops in his career.

Hamilton College rookie attackman Clay McCollum (Morristown, N.J.) had three goals to lead the visiting Continentals in the setback. Junior J.D. Brachman (Toronto, Ont.) scored twice. Senior Sam Sweet (Duxbury, Mass.) contributed with a goal and three assists. He leads Hamilton with 42 points on the spring.

Eric Zurmuehle (Westport, Conn.) was 9-fo-18 on face-offs and had seven ground balls in the loss. Junior net-minder John Schisler (Ledgewood, N.J.) finished with nine saves in the cage for the visitors.

The Camels took their first lead in the contest when Kelleher assisted Tompkins for a goal with one second remaining in the first quarter to put the hosts on top 4-3. But Hamilton responded with the first two goals of the second quarter to put the visitors back on top. Sweet made a nice feed to Brachman on his second goal of the quarter to give Hamilton a 5-4 lead with 8:50 remaining until the intermission.

With 7:42 to play before the half, Schisler denied Tompkins with a spectacular stop right on his door step at the near post side of the goal. But Foster pulled the Camels even when he went top shelf from the left side of the box with 3:28 to go, cashing in on an extra man opportunity and the two teams were knotted up in a 5-5 tie at the break.

Hamilton out-scored the Camels 2-1 in the third quarter. McCollum had both goals for the visitors. He buried an outside shot with just five seconds left to put the visitors on top 7-6.

But the Camels turned to their senior leaders in crunch time to pull this one out down the stretch. Derek Bertolini (Killingworth, Conn.) made a key play in an extra man opportunity midway through the fourth quarter. Bertolini won a battle for a ground ball at the top of the box and cycled the ball down low to Tompkins, who made a nice stick fake on Schisler and flicked in the equalizer with 7:31 remaining in regulation. It was the 100th collegiate point for Bertolini, who has contributed with 35 goals and 65 assists in just two seasons of play at Connecticut College.

Then, with 6:43 remaining, Tompkins rifled home a runner from the right side of the box to put the Camels on top for good in an 8-7 game.

But Hamilton would not go away quietly. Senior Joe Ricciuti (Norwell, Mass.) had a terrific bid to tie the game when he broke free on the left side of the box and unloaded with a low blast on the cage. But Bleistein was able to break down and get his stick in front of it to come up with the key save.

Hamilton tried to induce a Camel turnover with a fire play but Foster was able to knife his way through the defense to add a critical insurance marker with 1:07 to go and the Camels were able to hold on for the 9-7 win.

The Camels held a 47-to-29 advantage in shots and enjoyed a 31-20 edge in ground balls.

Senior Evan Gaudio (Cheshire, Conn.) contributed the 24th ground ball of his career on senior day for the hosts.

Hamilton will return home to Clinton, N.Y. to host RPI this Tuesday night for a 6:00 p.m. game in the Empire State.

The Camels will visit Bates next Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. game in Lewiston, Maine.